#TNHSFB: Class 3A Preview & Predictions

Moving up the classification ranks, we now take a look at Class 3A and how everything stacks up for all the teams as we head into the upcoming 2021 season. Alcoa is the class of the 3A ranks but there are a few teams throughout this classification that have talent and the means to compete with the Tornadoes. Here is how we see Class 3A laying out this year. Class 3A - Region 1 1. Chuckey-Doak 2. Johnson Co. 3. Claiborne 4. Unicoi Co. 5. West Greene Notes: This could be a wide open region where multiple teams could walk away as Region champs. Early pre-season research shows that Chuckey-Doak might have the best team and chance to win this Region and be set up nicely for postseason play. The Black Knights are having to replace some key guys from last year's team, so while Chuckey-Doak may be looked at as the top team right now, both Johnson Co. and Claiborne have a great shot to win this Region as well and make their way into the playoffs. Class 3A - Region 2 1. Alcoa 2. Gatlinburg-Pittman 3. Northview Academy 4. Pigeon Forge 5. Austin-East 6. Union Co Notes: Alcoa is not only the class of the Region but the entire 3A classification. The Tornadoes are a state power and defending 3A champions that are loaded yet again for another run at the title. Running the show on offense will be stud QB [player_tooltip player_id="150819" first="Caden" last="Buckles"] and he will be helped by a stellar defense sporting stars like [player_tooltip player_id="102111" first="Major" last="Newman"], [player_tooltip player_id="153042" first="Isaiah" last="Bryant"] and others. The biggest question about this Region headed into the 2021 year is who will finish second. It will be a competition with everyone in this Region but right now all eyes point towards Gatlinburg-Pittman and Northview Academy fighting it out for that second spot. The Highlanders have some key seniors in Jacob Ferguson and [player_tooltip player_id="150909" first="Cayde" last="Simpson"] but watch out for Northview as this may be the best team they have put together in many, many years. They have a stud up front in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="102056" first="Ryan" last="Wright"]. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-135216" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/41-Ryan-Wright-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /> Class 3A - Region 3 1. Loudon 2. Brainerd 3. Roane Co. 4. Signal Mountain 5. Sweetwater 6. McMinn Central Notes: The 2021 season could be a big one for the Loudon Redskins as they return a lot from last year's playoff team and have bigger expectations for the coming year. A strong senior class leads the way for the Redskins with Keaton Harig at quarterback and [player_tooltip player_id="153032" first="Gabe" last="Sturgill"] and Joshua Gonzalez being standouts on defense. While the Redskins are the pre-season top pick, they must not sleep on Brainerd as the Panthers might have the more talented team. Senior safety [player_tooltip player_id="102169" first="Talijah" last="Witt"] is the star for the Panthers but they have a rising prospect in [player_tooltip player_id="102346" first="Donivon" last="Thomas"] that many should know about. Roane Co. looks to have a solid team this year as well. The Yellow Jackets return enough veterans and youthful talent to give the Redskins and Panthers a run for their money. Class 3A - Region 4 1. Sequatchie Co. 2. Giles Co. 3. Cannon Co. 4. Community 5. Grundy Co. Notes: Looking into Region 4 you see a collection of teams that are not consistently on the tongue as top programs but what these teams provide for the 2021 season is a balanced, competitive Region that doesn't have a clear cut favorite. Sequatchie Co. is deemed the leader in the clubhouse right now but this Region is wide open for any one of the teams to win it and move into postseason play. Giles Co. is making the move down to 3A football and into a whole new region of the state with different competition. This move for the Bobcats should pay off big in the long run. Class 3A - Region 5 1. East Nashville 2. Stratford 3. Smith Co. 4. Maplewood 5. Jackson Co. Notes: East Nashville is the team that has the most overall talent but that doesn't mean the Region is automatically theirs. Stratford and Smith Co. will have something to say about who wins this Region, even though I feel that the Eagles will eventually be the winner. What all these teams are lacking is star power or that collection of guys that are known and can lean on for victories. What gives East Nashville the edge is their line of scrimmage, led by seniors Chazell Adkins and Taylan Fletcher. This is honestly a Region that is up for grabs where any one of the teams listed could walk away as Region champs. Class 3A - Region 6 1. White House 2. Waverly Central 3. Fairview 4. Stewart Co. 5. Cheatham Co. Central 6. Sycamore Notes: It's a fresh new look at Region 6 this season as you have new teams added and teams that make this Region much more competitive. Early look at this Region says it's a three team race with White House holding the early billing as the top squad. The Blue Devils have some talented seniors in (Ath) Ranen Blackburn and linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="153000" first="Pierce" last="Scholato"] to lead the way with several other key contributors around them. Waverly has the best quarterback in this Region with [player_tooltip player_id="152954" first="Jacob" last="Dooley"]. Fairview is a perennial playoff team that is making a transition in several ways, including a revamping of the roster. The Yellow Jackets will be young this year but should remain competitive. Stewart Co. is the sleeper team. Class 3A - Region 7 1. Covington 2. Dyersburg 3. Ripley 4. Bolivar Central 5. Millington Central 6. Bolton Notes: This Region begins and ends with Covington. The Chargers are one of the top programs in Class 3A and go into the 2021 season with a strong team that has their eyes on a state title. Covington has two D1 or FCS level stars to lean on in senior (DB) [player_tooltip player_id="153039" first="Jalen" last="Fayne"] and rising junior [player_tooltip player_id="150379" first="A.C." last="Mason-Young"]. They also have a variety of athletic skills spread throughout the roster that will be key factors on the upcoming season. The main competition for the Chargers looks to come from either Dyersburg or Ripley. Both these teams have some good players and talent to lean on this year but might not have enough juice to take the top spot from Covington. Class 3A - Region 8 1. Memphis East 2. Sheffield 3. Trezevant 4. Raleigh-Egypt 5. Douglass 6. Hamilton 7. Memphis Business Academy Notes: Every single one of these teams will be itching to hit the field this week as most, if not all did not have a 2020 season. It is somewhat hard to pick a winner in this Region as you really don't know what each one of these teams have for the upcoming year but early research shows that Memphis-East and Sheffield might be the two teams to beat. The Mustangs and the Knights both sport teams with a good mix of veterans and youthful talent and enough pieces to win this Region and find themselves in postseason play. The big names to know in this Region are (DB) C.J. Owens and (WR/S) Kenji Lewis from East and linebacker Ernest London and (DB) Joquavious Gray from Sheffield. Right now this Region could be wide open but East and the Knights right now appear to be the two teams to beat. Playoff Predictions Final Four: Alcoa, Loudon, White House, Covington State Championship: Alcoa vs. Covington Pre-season All-State (Class 3A) Offense (QB) [player_tooltip player_id="150819" first="Caden" last="Buckles"] - Alcoa (RB) Jordan Harris - Alcoa (‘23) (RB) [player_tooltip player_id="102218" first="Jamarion" last="Dowell"] - Covington (‘23) (WR) [player_tooltip player_id="150853" first="Terrance" last="Edler"] - Ripley (WR) [player_tooltip player_id="153042" first="Isaiah" last="Bryant"] - Alcoa (Ath) Ranen Blackburn - White House (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="150904" first="Max" last="Hodge"] - Alcoa (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="102358" first="Lance" last="Williams"] - Alcoa (‘23) (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="150890" first="Luke" last="Streeter"] - Dyersburg (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="102056" first="Ryan" last="Wright"] - Northview Academy (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="102257" first="Tyler" last="Jeffries"] - Alcoa (‘23) Defense (DL) Michael Williams, Jr - Alcoa (DL) [player_tooltip player_id="102274" first="Demetrius" last="Locklin"] - Brainerd (‘23) (DL) Chazell Adkins - East Nashville (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="102111" first="Major" last="Newman"] - Alcoa (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="153000" first="Pierce" last="Scholato"] - White House (LB) Jacob Ferguson - Gatlinburg-Pittman (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="150371" first="Aaron" last="Davis"] - Alcoa (‘23) (DB) [player_tooltip player_id="150379" first="A.C." last="Mason-Young"] - Covington (‘23) (DB) [player_tooltip player_id="102169" first="Talijah" last="Witt"] - Brainerd (DB) [player_tooltip player_id="153039" first="Jalen" last="Fayne"] - Covington (DB) C.J. Owens - Memphis East Others Considered: (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="149381" first="Elijah" last="Cannon"] - Alcoa, (DB) Keveon Garland, (DT) Kasey Bonds, (RB/S) [player_tooltip player_id="102303" first="Cuaron" last="Price"] - Bolivar Central, (WR) Ra'Shawn Winston, (DB) Morris Washington - Bolton, (Ath) Jaylyn Dupree - Brainerd, (OL) Keenan Bain, (DT/OL) [player_tooltip player_id="123170" first="Josh" last="Mingle"] - Cannon Co., (OL/DT) Carlos Dimas - Chuckey-Doak, (LB) James Satkowski - Claiborne, (LB) Cristian Barbee - Covington, (FB/LB) Darius Harris - Dyersburg, (OL) DeMarco Ellis, Jr - East Nashville, (RB) [player_tooltip player_id="153469" first="Layden" last="Grant"], (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="102225" first="Connor" last="Farris"] - Fairview, (DT/OL) [player_tooltip player_id="150909" first="Cayde" last="Simpson"], (WR/S) [player_tooltip player_id="150323" first="Jackson" last="DeSear"] - G-Pittman (OL) Dawson Misiolek - Grundy Co., (DT/OL) Kaleb Poole - Jackson Co., (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="153032" first="Gabe" last="Sturgill"], (DE) Joshua Gonzalez - Loudon, (WR/S) Kenji Lewis - Memp. East, (OL) Dylan Cooper - Northview Academy, (RB) [player_tooltip player_id="102272" first="Aidan" last="Littles"], (DL) Caleb Wolfe - Pigeon Forge, (TE/DE) Skyler Kibbler - Roane Co., (LB) Ernest London, (DB) Joquavious Gray, (DL) Jailian Lee, (Ath) Mark Joseph - Sheffield, (QB/Ath) Will Page - Stewart Co., (DE/TE) Noah Monroe - Union Co., (QB) [player_tooltip player_id="152954" first="Jacob" last="Dooley"], (WR/S) Ryan Edwards - Waverly, (RB/LB) Montrel Black Spencer Noah - White House, (OL) Devin Lejsek - WH-Heritage